Indian standup comedian Anuvab Pal, who has performed for 16 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, observed a shift in protest culture among gen Z. Instead of traditional hunger strikes and street theatre, young protesters used memes, AI-generated videos, and satire to challenge the government, ultimately leading to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
From grave protests to entertainment
Pal notes that protests in India have historically followed a predictable playbook dating from the Raj era: a hunger strike by a prominent figure, demands, police beatings, a compromise, and eventual sellout. But when a key medical exam paper was leaked and students gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the Cockroach Janata party's gen Z army responded differently. Rather than sloganeering, they targeted the government with witty, profane, and viral memes, doctored videos, and posters.
One video showed hundreds of students at a train station chanting: "The prime minister is a thief." A cartoon featured Modi being kissed by two billionaires, with the artist defiantly signing his name. Pal writes: "Rather than delivering another grave protest, gen Z began to entertain."
Tech-savvy youth unleash madness
India's young population, armed with smartphones, used their editing talents to create chaos on Instagram and X. One popular theme linked Modi with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni. A gen Z-er appealed to Meloni not to date Modi, calling him "all red flags and ghosting." Another AI clip showed Kim Jong Un hurling profanities at Modi in Hindi. Modi, who has done many decisive things, stalled in the face of thousands of romcom meme mashups.
At the protest site, young people uploaded reels next to policemen, soundtracked by Lana Del Rey's line "everyone knows I'm a good girl, officer," holding posters reading "Arrest me daddy." Pal notes: "India has never seen anything like this."
Modi's response mocked
Modi released a selfie video about legitimate steps being taken, but gen Z ignored it. Within minutes, AI parodies showed Modi swearing at the education minister. Many believed it was real. They then took a screenshot of Modi and played noughts and crosses on his forehead. Modi responded with another video, his head further from the camera. They mocked that too, showing him vanishing. "Modi was trying to communicate. They were having fun," Pal writes.
Government media channels accused political motives, George Soros, and China. But students responded with viral comedy clips, turning a news anchor's rant into a Funny or Die video. Pal's favourite clips include a fake Soros denying involvement in a local Indian language, and a protester pretending to call Xi Jinping to report the plan was going well. Overwhelmed by memes, the education minister resigned.
A new era of protest
Pal reflects that older generations were taught to worry about what people will say, but gen Z does not care. "They're definitely having a laugh," he says. A new education minister, Pralhad Joshi, was appointed, and the first comment on X read: "Resign Pralhad Joshi."
